A United States citizen jailed in Russia for kicking a police officer two years ago has complained of being tortured by his fellow inmates, local state-run mediareported Monday.Robert Gilman, 30, was sentenced to four years and six months in Russian prison for allegedly kicking a law enforcement officer in October 2022, a sentence that was reduced to three and a half years following an appeal.While jailed for that conviction, Gilman allegedly attacked prison staff and an investigative officer on four separate occasions, according to state-run media agencies.Following those incidents, prosecutors brought four new charges against Gilman, including three counts of physical violence against a prison employee and one count of physical violence against a justice official.Gilman pleaded guilty to the latest assault charges in June.During a court hearing on Monday, Gilman claimed that his cellmates in a Voronezh penal colony regularly disturbed his sleep, took away his clothes, forced him to do squats and beat him, according to state-run broadcaster Vesti Voronezh.
The American added that he is forced to physically defend himself.The broadcaster claimed that no United States representatives were present at the hearing.At a court hearing last month, Gilman also claimed that Russian prison officials attempted to poison him, saying he felt weak and experienced hypersalivation after eating a piece of bread but was denied medical assistance.Gilman is one of several United States citizens currently being held in Russian prison, including journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, ex-Marine Paul Whelan and former United States teacher and diplomat Marc Fogel.